Converging Waters
by dishonoredscholar
Summary: Our fate is usually affected by the decisions we and others make. Out there is a world of possibilities- alternative options and trajectories. How have we steered the ship?
1. Map

**I'm not really sure how original this idea is. I've seen loads of multiverse SU fics out there though. I don't know how much this one would stand out to be honest. I'm also unsure how well I'll be able to develop this fic either.. Either way, this thing will haunt my dreams if I don't write about it so I must.**

 **Just a fair warning to you guys, there some crack ships here and given the concept combined with the plot I'm planning, OCs are inevitable and this is very dangerous territory I'm treading OCs do tend to get very 'sueish' if you're not careful. Also crackships are hard to write as well. It can get 'cringey' if you're not careful. Let's hope I'm careful enough. Anyway, there's not going to be any ships for this chapter. Now, I'm going to try and make sense of what could potentially be a recipe for disaster.**

* * *

The bright rays shown through the windows bathing the entire house in a yellowish glow. It was bright enough to wake up the young boy. That is, if he was awake in the first place. Not wanting to rise just yet, he turned away from the window and looked into the rest of the house. Everything was neatly kept in place. It was arranged and kept almost too perfectly. Well, he couldn't really expect anything less from Pearl- one of his caretakers.

He has been awake for hours; staring at the dark ceiling while contemplating on her mother's previous actions. His mother, Rose Quartz-traitor to her own people, shatterer, rebel, great leader, wonderful friend, loving wife and beloved mother, was someone he could never get to know. It's true that he had heard stories of her-both good and bad but that will never be enough. He knows that he may only get to know bits and pieces of Rose's identity but he has accepted this. He no longer doubts the reason behind his creation and he has fully accepted that along with her gem, he has inherited her responsibilities.

However, he sometimes catches himself wondering about the alternative and his mind would wonder about all the 'what ifs'. Will everyone be better off if Rose had stayed and he never existed? He'll never know for sure. It's true that dwelling on the past is no good but sometimes he can't help but wonder.

He looked at the clock and noticed it was a quarter past 9. He heaved a deep sigh before he lifted himself from the bed and wiped the remaining sleep away from his eyes. He slowly got down and walked towards the kitchen counter. He felt he coluld collapse from tiredness at any moment. His eyelids started to drip down but the glow of the warp pad kept him from falling asleep.

His 3 friends emerged soon after the glow dissipated. The three of them walked towards him. Their expressions were unreadable but he felt they had something important to say.

"Steven you haven't had breakfast yet?" Pearl asked, noticing the lack of dirty dishes and food spills in the kitchen.

Steven looked at her with half-shut eyelids. He fought off the urge to fall asleep. He yawned before answering "No… I just gotten up." Steven said. His eyes then shut close and his head dipped down.

"Dang! What kept you from sleeping? Were stray cats fighting on your roof again?" Amethyst asked.

"Amethyst, last time…" Pearl paused for a while. She paused for a brief moment, reluctant on what she was about to say "They were not really fighting..."

"Oooh, I mean the exact opposite of fighting…" She corrected herself as she tried to stifle her laughter.

"No, its not cats. It's just some things were on my mind…" He yawned. Nothing you guys should be worried about..." He said right before his head hit the kitchen counter.

"Steven!" Garnet exclaimed.

"Whoah! I-I'm awake! I'm awake!"

He looked up at the towering gem. Even with her glasses on, he could tell she was looking at him. He couldn't read much of her expression though. The only thing he can be sure of is that she had something important to tell him and it's best if he listens.

"Are you well enough to go on today's mission?" Garnet asked.

He looked up towards the tallest gem. She held her usual neutral expression but something seemed off about her. He couldn't put his finger on it. Her tone of voice also sounded a bit restrained but he couldn't pinpoint why. He tried to think if he should ask them or wait until they say something. However, his tiredness overtook his thoughts and this was immediately forgotten.

"Yes, I'm just a bit sleepy but I'll do fine." He reassured them.

"Are you sure? It looks like you didn't catch any Zs last night." Amethyst commented, noticing his disheveled hair, lethargic movements and large eye bags.

"Yeah, I'm sure…" He said right before he closed his eyes and his head fell against the counter.

The three of them looked down at the sleeping boy sprawled out across the kitchen counter. He snored loudly. Amethyst crouched down next to him and gently poked his side with her finger. No response. She did it again, only this time much harder. He stirred a little and went back right to sleep. "Well, he's definitely going to be out for a while." Amethyst commented as she stood back up.

"Let's give him half an hour." Garnet said.

"I'll go pack him a sandwich." Pearl said right before heading towards the fridge.

"Pack an extra one for me P!" Amethyst called.

* * *

The warp pad brought them to another beach; a warm tropical paradise with white sand beaches. Steven was the first one to jump down the warp pad. He rushed towards the edge of the beach and looked beyond the shoreline. He watched the reflected sun's rays dance across the waves of the crystal clear blue waters. There was no sign of another island in sight. He then glanced back and noticed the rich vegetation covering the landscape of the rest of the place.

"Its pretty here. You guys want to hang around after we're done?" He asked.

"Its very beautiful, but we already live on a beach. I don't see how this one is that much different." Pearl commented.

"It just is. This isn't Beach City." Steven retorted.

"Meh, I rather go get some fry bits after we're done." Amethyst said.

"Alright, everyone, that's enough. Come here and follow me." Garnet instructed.

The three of them walked along the shoreline. The heat of the tropical sun was beating down on them as they crunched the fine sand beneath their didn't take long for him to notice that as they walked across the expanse of the beach, everyone was a lot more quiet than usual. Amethyst and Pearl didn't made any of their usual remarks and Garnet didn't say anything. This is not unusual for her per se, but he still felt something was off with her. He thought again about asking her if something was wrong but this thought once again dissipated as soon as they encountered a large cliff that appeared to be cut by the ocean's waves. It was surrounded by large rough rocks that came a multitude of colors but were all crusted with dirt and moss, dulling their original hues. These were spread throughout this area of the beach and they even extended beyond the shoreline.

"So, which way?" Amethyst asked, thinking they just went to a dead end.

"There's a subterranean cave on the water side of this cliff. That's where the tower is built. We probably have to go through these rocks." Pearl said in reply.

" And what's our mission again?" He asked, suddenly remembering that he couldn't recall whether the gems briefed him on the mission or not.

"We're retrieving the many worlds crystal. Remember? You were still a bit groggy when we told you." Garnet answered with a slight smile on her face.

"And what does it do again?" Steven asked as he approached the water and following the lead of his friends, jumped up into one of the rocks and started to traverse towards another edge of the cliff.

"Well, it's only in legends but apparently the many worlds crystal is essentially a gateway to the multiverse." Pearl answered.

"Multiverse? You mean there are alternate worlds?" Steven asked.

"Yes, there is a possibility." Pearl answered.

"Hey wouldn't it be awesome if we end up in a world where it rained fry bits? Maybe we should hang there for a while" Amethyst said as she helped Steven climb up one of the larger rocks.

"Yeah, that'd be so cool! Is that possible, Pearl?"

"If the multiverse does exist then yes." She answered.

"Can we go to that world, Garnet? Steven asked as he jumped down near the cave's entrance.

"We'll see." Garnet said as she ruffled his hair affectionately.

All of them now stood in front of the cave's entrance. From what Steven can see the cavern was large and deep and it had been flooded in and gotten wet in some areas. He looked down beneath his feet and noticed it was only a matter of a few steps before he would inevitably get them wet. He silently thanked himself for preferring to wear sandals rather than sneakers.

With Garnet leading the entire party, they went further down into the tunnels. Soon they were surrounded by stalagmites, stalactites and a variety of other rock formations. They were moist from the shallow salty waters at their feet, and as a result of condensation, clusters of salt crystals stuck to their surfaces. Dappled lights shown from cracks and crevices from the ceiling, illuminating the cavern in a dim glow. The small amount of sunlight was enough to reflect the radiant colors of the rocks onto the salt crystals, making the entire cave sparkle in a strange iridescent glow.

"Hey P, I found your cousins." Amethyst joked as she pointed to one of the rock formations coated in salt.

"Hahaha, very funny, Amethyst." Pearl answered back sarcastically.

They traversed further into the cave. Soon the hollow openings on the cave's roofs were too far to light their way and they only had the light from Pearl's gem keep them from not seeing anything. The water level also got higher and higher until they were up to Steven's knees. He looked around at the cave and noticed the caverns grew narrower and narrower as well. Steven covered his nose as the smell of guano combined with stagnant sea water became too much for him to handle. The vapors stung his eyes and he squinted them in an attempt to protect his eyes. He continued to follow his friends, however; determined to finish the mission with them. This normally would be the time that Pearl would remark about the horrid stench of the place but she remained quiet. In fact, no one had spoken since they got past one of the larger caverns.

Soon enough the smell disappeared. They've managed to reach an area that even the bats don't want to stay at. They kept going until the water became much more shallow and it seemed to flow now- much like a stream. The walls also seemed to grow smoother and more rounded. Steven suspected this part was artificially made. They soon saw a light in the distance. They followed the light until they managed to reach its source.

They stood in front of a large cavern now, the largest one in the entire cave. Multiple smaller tunnels all connect to this big one. The one they're in has a 20 feet drop from the tunnel's edge to the floor of the cavern. In the middle stood a large ornate tower that's surrounded and supported by multiple glowing pillars that came in a multitude of colors. At the very top was something that was emitting a bright white light. The whole structure almost looked like a really well-decorated lighthouse.

"What is this?" Steven asked as he looked up to the tower with amazement.

"The Many Worlds Tower. At the top, we'll find the crystal. Careful, Steven. Its a long way down." Garnet told him right before jumping down to the bottom of the cavern.

The rest of them followed her lead. Steven was the last one to float down. They then walked towards the tower. Within the massive pillars was an old spiral staircase. It had a few cracks but it was safe enough to climb.

"Race you to the top, dude!" Amethyst said right before racing up the old steps.

"Amethyst, wait for me!" Steven exclaimed right before rushing in pursuit.

"Careful you two, you might trigger a-" Pearl was cut off.

Amethyst then felt a part of the step give under one of her foot. "Oh no..." She commented right before large spikes emerged from the steps. She narrowly dodged them and took a few steps back.

"Amethyst are you ok?" Steven asked as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah dude, I'm fine. Maybe we should go a bit slow, just in case." She said in reply.

They continued to climb the tower. They managed to avoid triggering any further traps for the rest of their climb. They soon reached the top floor. In the middle of the floor stood a large ornately-decorated pedestal and on it sat the object that was emitting the bright white light. They all slowly approached the object. When they were close enough, with Garnet's guidance, Steven slowly reached out to touch the crystal. Its bright white light suddenly dimmed but this was soon replaced by a gentle pink glow.

"Well done, Steven. Now give me the crystal." Garnet said smiling.

Steven handed the gem to her and its pink glow changed in hue. The transparent diamond-shaped crystal emitted a reddish-purple glow in Garnet's hands. Their mission was a success.

* * *

 **Well, there you guys have it. The first of many chapters to this story. Let's hope I won't get lazy in updating this one.**

 **Can you believe I wrote some of this in the bus. Seriously, the traffic in my city is ungodly... Also, there's the threat of a huge earthquake in my area- think 6-7 in magnitude. Some ISIS supporters attacked people in the Southern part of my country. *sigh* Sorry, just needed to get all of that off my chest somehow and well, I did. Actually no... Seriously, it isn't just my country- what is going on in this world? Everything's just so ughhhhh.**

 **Btw, I actually now made an outline for this entire thing *woot* *woot*. Anyway, tell me what you guys think of this first chapter and I'll probably have the next chapter (including the one in my other fic)up by next week.**


	2. Blind Navigator

**Okay, second chapter. I've actually already started on the 3rd one but it may take me a little while to finish, proofread and upload that. Well, I hope you guys will like this one and feel free to tell me what you think.**

* * *

Carrying a box filled with freshly prepared doughnuts, Steven walked up the stairs towards their front door. Like on most mornings, he had gotten to the Big Doughnut before the store even opened. There was just something special about being the first customer of the day, and the first one to be able to greet Sadie. He also wanted to get some freshly baked doughnuts for him and the gems to have for breakfast. He's fully aware that they don't need to eat but Amethyst always seemed eager to take a bite and garnet would occasionally get a doughnut or 2. Maybe he might even convince Pearl to take a bite or two.

His entire morning seemed normal at that point. He got up early, he went to the Big Doughnut and waited for Sadie, who, for the hundredth time asked whether Lars would really be alright in a foreign planet. However, as soon as he touched the knob he felt something off again. He opened the door carefully and saw the gems in the living room. Their backs were all turned towards the door. None of them greeted him nor have they acknowledged his presence in any way.

Steven frowned slightly, suspicious of his friend's activities. He sneaked in quietly into the living room and hid behind the couch. None of them looked his way and not one of them managed to hear him. Garnet was standing in the middle of the room. Pearl and Amethyst were standing in front of her, their backs still turned to him. They were all silent for a long time then Garnet finally spoke.

"Its not working." She said. There was a sense of urgency in her voice.

"How is this thing even supposed to work?" Amethyst commented as she jumped back towards the couch.

She landed on her side with a soft thud but it managed to stir up Steven's hiding spot. He did his best to keep quiet and keep himself balanced behind the couch. Neither was easy to do but somehow he managed through it.

"We don't know. This was our best option. We don't even know how it got lost in the first place. If we did- well, maybe things would be a lot easier for us." Pearl said as she paced across the room.

"Geez, this is bad isn't it?" Amethyst said as she sat up.

"Yes, Homeworld is probably on our tail. And after what happened with Steven…" Pearl cut herself off.

"Maybe we need to do something to activate this." Garnet said.

Steven still had no idea what they were talking about but whatever it was it was serious and he knew he had the right to know.

"Why? It's a useless junk." Amethyst commented.

"A useless junk that can potentially save our lives. We have no choice, we have to be ready for ever possible outcome." Garnet pointed out.

Steven then saw a diamond shaped crystal that glows a reddish purple color resting in one of Garnet's hands. Something was definitely up, they're keeping secrets from him again and as someone who's part of the team he has the right to know.

"Guys?" He said standing up to reveal himself. "What's going on?"

The three of them stared at him in shock. The look of guilt were written in all of their faces. None of them spoke though. So he was right, they were keeping important information from him again.

"You said there'd be no more secrets." He added.

Amethyst and Pearl both looked at Garnet. The three of them seemed to hold a silent conversation he wasn't a part of but he had a pretty good idea on what it was about. Of course it will all be a matter on whether she agrees to tell him anything or not. Garnet heaved a deep sigh and looked down on the small boy before her "Steven, please sit down."

* * *

The doughnuts were pretty much forgotten after that. Steven immediately sat down on the couch. Pearl and Amethyst sat on either side of him. Both of them seemed reluctant to reveal to him the whole truth and Garnet. She probably felt the same or so Steven thought but she did pause before speaking to him. Everything was explained. No one knew what caused it but he pretty much knew about the situation as much as the others.

"So you can't see anything?" Steven asked, still in disbelief of what had happen.

"Nothing, nothing from the future. Its all blank. This isn't the first time I couldn't see some of the outcomes. I could always see the bits and pieces but now, I can't see anything. " Garnet said in reply.

"So how will the Many Worlds Crystal help?" Steven asked.

"Our fates are created by our decisions. They say the multiverse is made up of all those options that we could've but didn't take. I can-I used to see some of those possibilities. We thought the crystal- a supposedly direct link to the multiverse could help us." Garnet replied.

"But you couldn't make it work."

"Not yet." Garnet said in reply.

"Honestly we may never get it to work." Pearl admitted.

"Yeah, I mean the multiverse? Maybe its all just a load of crap." Amethyst added.

"Maybe... but let's hope not." Steven said.

Garnet looked down onto her hands and noticed the Many Worlds Crystal still placed against her palm. She can probably resolve this and everything will go back to normal but what she needed first was time. They had been pouring over the crystal, trying to figure out how it works ever since they managed to retrieve it. The sight and feel of it was starting to sicken her, which was unusual. Usually she would be able to sit through these things but the lack of her powers made her feel more vulnerable than usual.

"Maybe a short break will help. I'm going for a walk. You all can come if you like" Garnet stated as she placed the crystal on the coffee table and started to walk towards the door.

"Yes, maybe some fresh air will clear our heads." Pearl said as she followed Garnet.

"Hey, you guys heading near the pizza place? I could use a slice or a whole pan." Amethyst said as she rushed towards their side.

"You coming, dude?" Amethyst asked.

"Nah, you guys go on ahead. I think I'll stay in for the rest of the day." He replied.

The gems were soon out of the door. Pearl then remembered the crystal "Should we really have left that thing with Steven?" She asked.

"Its a piece of junk. What's he gonna do with it?" Amethyst said in reply.

"Steven can take care of himself." Garnet commented.

"I guess, they'll just have doughnuts later."He said as looked at the kitchen table, remembering the food he had bought earlier that day.

"No visions huh?" Steven said to himself. He then recalled all those times that Garnet's vision was able to aid them in their missions and avoid any dangers. Its true that he knew nothing about that when he started living with the gems but they had always been there; guiding them on what they should do next. Its true that nothing is written in stone but getting an idea of what the future could possibly hold for them is extremely useful.

He grabbed a doughnut from the box and settled himself in front of the TV. Worrying about this won't do him any good. He just need to trust the gems that they will be able to resolve this quickly.

As he watched though, he couldn't help but wonder about the Many Worlds Crystal. All of the artifacts they've previously obtained, both ancient and modern gem tech, seemed to work the way they should in one way or another. Even Lapis's mirror to an extent worked. So why is this one so different? Why didn't it do anything when it should have done something?

He soon found himself walking back to the living room. He eyed the crystal careful. With no one holding it, its transparent and colorless now. It didn't emit any sort of glow but it did shine against the natural light entering through the windows of his home. He gently took the crystal into his hands, as careful as he did when he first touched it. And as soon as it made contact with his hand it glowed a light pink shade.

"The multiverse…. where anything is possible…" He whispered to himself as he raised the crystal towards the light. As it glowed in his hand he could see a faint reflection of himself on the smooth shiny surface of the artifact.

He then thought of every decision that he had made and what the gems had made. Each one of them aided in creating the present he's living in today and surely their later decisions will affect their future. Surely, things would've turned out a lot differently if he had decided on the alternative, though. If they had decided on the alternative, what would his world look like he wondered.

He them thought of his mother-Rose Quartz. A lot of her previous decisions had a large impact on the Earth and on Homeworld as well. What if she never decided to rebel? What if she never managed to recruit all those gems? What if Pearl, Ruby and Sapphire were shattered during the war? What if they had lost the war?

Steven dropped the crystal back onto the table and immediately it stopped glowing. He's curious about that world and other worlds for that matter but he doesn't want to think about it. The alternative would have been bad-really bad.

He stared back at the crystal on the coffee table and took it in his hands once again. He couldn't help but think of his mother. What if she had never met his dad? What of they never fell in love? What if he was never born? What would that world look like. Its nothing like he regretted his birth, he's just curious. What would the alternative have had been? What would the crystal gems have been if Rose had stayed? That would have been something he would like to see.

The soft pink glow emitting from the crystal quickly grew brighter until it was blinding. He closed his eyes but he could have sworn-just right before he shut his eyes he saw a little picture form. It looked like a beach- almost like there was this sandy world inside the thing.

Despite having his eyes shut, he could still see the bright light as it managed to slip between and through his eyelids. The light disappeared in a flash.

For a millisecond he could've sworn he was up in the air. His feet were suspended from the ground but soon he felt the force of gravity on his body. He wasn't quick enough to react to this though and he felt himself fall to the ground. He could tell it wasn't a high drop but his head was throbbing from the fall and he had no idea on what had happen to him. He however, could tell he was no longer inside his house since he could feel a mixture of dirt and sand beneath his palms and the heat of the summer sun on his back.

He rubbed the top if his head in a futile attempt to dull the pain then he heard an unfamiliar voice spoke to him from behind.

"Are you ok?"

* * *

 **Tell me what you guys think. Also, I'll be uploading the cover image with the next chapter. I've actually planned for it since after publishing chapter 1 but I didn't want to post it until chapter 3 for reasons that you'll all soon know. Anyway, that's the story. Feel free to tell me what you think**

 **-Ann**


	3. The Pearl in Another Oyster

**Okay, wow... First chapter with an OC. Let's see how this will go.**

* * *

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I think so…" Steven padded his head in an attempt to calm down the dull painful throbbing he felt from his fall.

He then looked up to the source of the voice. It was a girl, who was probably around 10 years of age. She had slim features, her eyes were dark brown and she had a pointy nose. She has dark brown hair that was cut into a bob with a big pink bow tied behind her hair. Her bangs covered her entire forehead and fell just above her eyes. She wore a light blue and white sailor-inspired dress with a large pink ribbon tied around her neck.

"You hit the ground pretty hard." The girl commented as she took a few steps forward towards him.

"It's fine. I've taken harder falls. I'm Steven by the way. Its nice to meet you." He said as he extended his hand towards her.

"Its nice to meet you too, Steven. I'm Penny. So, is this your first time in Beach City?" She asked him as they shook hands.

"Ever been to Beach City? Yeah, I live here. My house is-"

Steven paused and immediately noticed his surroundings. They were both standing in front of the Crystal Temple, just a few paces from the warp pad to be exact. Judging by their location both of them should've been standing inside his house. His house should've been here but it wasn't. "Or at least it should be here." He commented. Steven then looked down to his hand to see a familiar crystal glowing a soft pink against his left hand.

Steven looked around him once again. Aside from the missing house and the girl looking at him with confusion, nothing seemed to be out of order. The sky was still blue, the sun still shone brightly, the temple was still standing, and the ocean was still made out of water. At first glance, there wasn't any major changes but he was sure of it. This was no longer his world anymore.

"The crystal. It worked!" Steven exclaimed as he grabbed the girl's hands and spun her around in excitement.

She rarely saw anyone, except her friends from boarding school, her caretakers and her family. No one even goes to this part of the beach. Then this strange boy appeared from thin air and fell to the ground. Her first response was to make sure he was alright and he seemed to be. He seemed friendly enough but he's still an enigma to her. She has seen weird and bizarre things before but never to this extent. Never had a mysterious boy appeared from out of nowhere claiming to live by the Crystal Temple. She knew she had to be cautious. Despite all of this though, the appearance of Steven was both confusing and had a huge smile on his face and he acted as though they've known each other for years.

"Uhhh…" was the only response she could muster.

Sensing her discomfort, he immediately let go of her hands and smiled sheepishly as he took a step back. "Oh, I'm sorry. Its just that I can't believe this worked!" He said as he showed her the diamond-shaped crystal resting in his palm.

She looked at the artifact with intrigue. It was a pretty crystal for sure but visually there was nothing extraordinary about it. "Oh, that's… nice… What is it?" She asked as she cocked her head to one side.

"Its the many worlds crystal. I got it from the gems." He said in reply.

Her eyes widened in response and she looked at him with a mixture of intrigue and suspicion. She didn't spoke for a little while and Steven doesn't know how to reply. He expected her to at least be aware of the Crystal Gems. In his world, everyone in Beach City knew about them. The proof of their existence in her world is just a few paces away from them so why wouldn't she know?

"Gems?" She asked.

"Yeah, the Crystal Gems." He said in response.

Her mouth opened in surprise. It looked like she wanted to say something but was unable to form the proper words to say it. She looked away from him and took a few paces forward. He followed her with his gaze, unable to sense what her response would be. "The Crystal Gems..." She said.

Her head then snapped back towards him and she turned to face him. "Wait, many worlds?" She asked him.

Neither of them spoke. Both of them started to understand the situation they were in and both of them knew that the other was already filling in the gaps. Of course, both of them still had doubts about their thoughts and theories and neither of them could fully know the whole story on their own. Steven was the first one to act. He raised his shirt a little, exposing his mother's pink gem where his belly button was supposed to be. She in turn looked at him in shock and curiosity. She slowly lifted her bangs up, exposing the shiny white gem of her mother.

Neither one of them spoke for a long time and neither of them could believe their eyes. They both understood though. They somehow saw the alternative-one of the many possibilities that existed in the multiverse if they were never born.

Penny was the 1st to speak. She could recognize that gem from anywhere. She was sure who it originally belonged to. "Rose Quartz…" She said in a low voice. Her voice didn't carry a questioning tone but one could easily tell she was shocked and confused.

"Pearl…" Steven said in reply. He was still in disbelief. He knew he went to an alternate world but he never thought he'd go to this alternate world. Its true, anything is possible in the multiverse.

"Wow…" They both said simultaneously.

Both of them just stared at each other for a long time, seemingly analyzing the existence of the other. Out of nowhere, Penny then pinched herself on the arm. She winced in pain and looked back at Steven who was now looking at her with concern instead of curiosity.

"I-I'm not crazy, am I?" She asked him.

"No, I don't think so. If you are then I probably am too." He said in reply.

"Yes, I've just proven to myself you're not a stress-induced hallucination." She said.

"What?"

* * *

The two of them sat on the sand, watching the waves rush towards the shore. Steven inhaled the deep sea air and lied down on the sand, feeling the heat of the sun on his face. It felt like home- almost everything resembled the own world he had. The world where he was born, where it was Rose Quartz who had him instead of Pearl who had Penny in this world.

"Hey, I just learned this trick. Watch the sand." She said right before placing her hand a few inches above the sand. She moved her hand up a little and a little sand Steven appeared beneath her open palm.

"You can control sand?" Steven asked.

"Apparently, just a small amount though. Its not that useful yet. Well, I can use it to show off and blind people I guess..."

"Okay, I have a pretty cool trick too." Steven said as he stood up. He then summoned a pink bubble around them.

"Cool! It looks like you're bubble's more durable than the regular ones." She said as she gently touched the surface of the bubble.

"Do you also have Rose's healing tears?" She asked.

"I have healing spit." Steven said in reply.

"Oh, healing spit. That's gross but kinda cool." She said with a genuine smile on her face.

She then looked at her watch and her smile immediately vanished. She looked apologetically at Steven. "Oh, look at the time! I'm so sorry, Steven. I wish I could hang out more with you but I have homework." She said.

Steven popped the bubble to let her out. She walked a few paces towards the temple. That's when Steven noticed a light blue beach towel laid out on top of the sand. Several books were neatly stacked on top of it. There was also a yellow notepad and a pen that laid on the towel. A few grains of sand had found its way onto the surface and in between some of the book pages. She took a book into her hand and dusted off the sand. She sat down on the towel and immediately started reading the book while occasionally taking down notes on her pad.

Steven walked towards her and sat next to her on the towel. He was not sure if she had noticed him or not. Regardless of this, she was too immersed in the book to acknowledge his presence. He took another book from her pile and read the cover. "World History? You don't have summer vacation here?" He asked.

"We do but-" She sighed in frustration right after closing her book and looking at him. "I guess I don't really have the luxury of having an actual vacation."

"Why?"

"There are...Risks in the future and I have to minimize these risk and this is apparently a practical way of doing that. Well, according to dad that is..." She said as she slumped down and rested her head on the book.

"I think you need a break." Steven said right before his stomach rumbled.

"A lunch break?"

* * *

Penny lead him to her house. It was essentially the lighthouse just above the Crystal temple. It was severely renovated and new rooms added to make it a lot more livable. It was mostly painted in white and had a red-tiled roof. It honestly looked more like a vacation home than an actual house to Steven. She led him inside the spacious kitchen and instructed him to sit down in the dining area.

"So, what are you craving for? Lasagna? Grilled chicken? Pizza?" She asked him as she opened up the fridge.

"Hmmm, how about some pizza?"

"Pizza it is then." She said as she placed the pepperoni pizza in the microwave.

They went back to the beach and ate their lunch there. Intrigued about each other's lives, they asked random questions to each other regarding the little things in their lives. However, their conversation was short-lived. The warp pad soon glowed and Penny instinctively went towards the pad. Steven, with his half-eaten pizza slice in hand hid behind one of the rocks. Soon the light dissipated and they saw a familiar figure of a large pink-haired woman wearing a white dress.

"Mom?" He whispered to himself. Inwardly, Steven sighed in relief about having made the decision to hide.

"Rose! How'd your mission go." Penny said as she hugged the larger gem.

"Pretty good! This gem is safe for now." She said as she showed her a gem safely bubbled in her hand, right before sending it back to the temple.

"Don't hit the books too hard now. Don't forget about being a kid. Humans have so much freedom, you need to take advantage of that." Rose commented

"Freedom..." Penny said as she bowed her head down.

Rose loosened their hug and gently moved her to face the seashore. "Look around you, Penny. The entire beauty of earth is right in front of you and you're free to explore and experience it in anyway that you want. Your mother..." Rose paused a brief moment as her smile widened and her cheeks became slightly red. "You're mother fought for this planet with me for the sake of the earth's freedom. Our freedom-your freedom."

"So... she won't be proud of me... of what I've become..." She said as she bowed her head down once more to hide her frown from Rose.

"I wouldn't say that... Your mother made you because she knew what you could become. We all did. One day you'll find what you want to do, the same way we all did. And Penny, I'm certain she's proud of you right now..." She said as she kissed her on the forehead, just below her gem.

"I'm going to the grocery store, do you need anything?" Rose asked.

"Uhhh, I think we're out of jam." She said in reply.

"Alright then. I'll see you later." She said right before walking away towards Beach City.

Penny glanced at the direction of Steven's hiding place as he got up to reveal himself. He had fully consumed his pizza and he dusted off the sand that got into his shirt and jeans.

"I thought you would want to meet her. Your mom, I mean." She told him.

"I did but... I've been going through some stuff lately." He admitted.

"That's understandable... If I met my mom... I wouldn't know what I should do..." She commented as she looked out into the distance.

Steven paused for a while then an idea entered his mind. "But do you want to meet her?" Steven said with a huge smile on his face.

"What?" She said, with surprise and confusion in her tone.

"I have this, remember?" Steven said as he reached into his jean pocket and showed her the glowing crystal in his hand.

Penny looked back at him with a mix of intrigue and fear. She had sneaked out before. She had went with the gems on their missions without informing his father. She had been to the other side of the globe with only the gems with her and only they had known where she's been. But this was different. She was about to sneak off into an alternate world with a kid that she just met. No one will know where she's going and that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up. She would have said no and saying no would have been the logical thing to do. However, she then remembered Rose's words and for the first time in a long time she knew what she wanted and she knew how to get it.

"If you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting then let's do it!" She said, now with a tone of excitement.

"Great! Okay, you try it out." Steven said as he handed the crystal to her.

It softly glowed white in her hands. She moved it closer to her face, curious about the strange object handed to her. She had a brief moment of hesitation due to her fear but she went with it as Steven placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The crystal started to glow intensely and both of them were bathed in a blinding white light. Immediately they found themselves in front of the temple once again. Only this time they were in front of a version of it that Steven was familiar with.

"Is this it? Did I do it right?"

Steven looked at her then back to his house. "Yeah, we're home." He said.

* * *

 **Okay, that's it for the 3rd chapter. Btw, I would just like to share with you guys a weird experience I had in my commute. I take a shuttle to go back home from work, you see. I was sitting at the back and the girl in front of me was watching this video of 2 gems (the actually stuff we put on our jewelry) being rubbed against each other and I was thinking "Gem Porn?" I didn't mean to spy. She was just directly in front of me and I accidentally glanced at the screen and well... it confused me...**

 **Also, I'm taking a short break from the romance fics. (I lost the latest unpublished chapter of 2nd chances and that's one of the reasons why)**

 **Anyway, back to the story at hand. Yep, that's one of the OCs. We actually have about 3 more that are going to be introduced in the next chapters. You guys probs have a good idea about who they are... Anyway, tell me what you guys think :))**


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